Gowns, and Robes. 41 



beaten air to escape easily, as the body 

 of the bird is forced onwards. 



Each quill-feather follows the 

 exact same plan. Its forward edge 

 is hard and strong, the other curved 

 and fluffy; and as the feathers at 

 the outer extremity of the wing have 

 the most weight to bear, and the 

 most force to exert, they are the 

 stiffest and the strongest of all. 



The delicate surface of the feather 

 is like a beautifully- woven web. 

 Press the tip of your finger against 

 it, and see how elastic it is ; soft 

 and silky as the finest triumph of 

 the weaver's art. And yet it is not 

 woven, but merely hooked together 

 by tiny filaments, technically called 

 barbules. There are two sets of 

 these upon every one of the vanes 

 or barbs, which project from the 

 quill ; one set is curved upward, 

 the other downward, and they hold 

 so tightly one into another as to 

 form a compact and close surface. 



